Apparatus for indicating the amount of water in automobile radiators



C. FORD.

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE AMOUNT ,OF WATER IN AUTOMOBILE RAOIATORS.

APPLICATION mm JULY 24,1918.

1 ,421,930, Patented July 4, 1922.

Vugsgl INVEMTOR awn-0424. 0

BY M w ATTORNEYS UNITED rarizu'r OFFICE.

CAMPBELL FORD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS l OR INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J u'ly 4,-1.922.

Application filed July 24, 1918. Serial No. 246,424.

To all 7lllt077l it may concern.

Be it kninvn that; I, CAMPBELL FORD, a. citizen of the United States, and a. resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have in vcntcd a new and useful Apparatus for Indicating the Amount of Vlatcr in Automobile Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an apparatus for indicating the amount of Water in the tank of an automobile radiator.

An object of the invention to provide means for continuously indicating to the automobile driver, the amount of Water in the tank of the automobile radiator.

Another obje t of the invention is to pro vide incans visible from the drivers seat for notifying: the driver when the water in the radiator is low.

Another object of the invention is to proride means for indicating to the automobile driver, the temperature of the water in the radiator.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the loregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description Where I shall outlinein fulh a form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. i

Referring to said drawings:

The figure is a vertical section of a proterrcd form of apparatus.

It is very desirable, in the operation of an automobile, to keep the radiator 'lull of Water, for when driving the radiator frequently goes dry without the drivers knowledge, resuiting in deleterious overheating, of the engine. In accordance with my invention,-

1 provide means. visible from the drivcrs seat, for ind' atiug the amount of water in the upper part of the radiator. The apparatus may be constructed in a plurality of different forms. and may be secured to the radiator cap or may be screwed directly into the top plate of the radiator. adjacent the cap. When the latter arrangement is used, the apparatus indicates the rising level of the water in the upper art of the tank, as the radiator is being fil ed, thereby eliminating the tendency to ovcriiow the radiator when filling it.

The apparatus consists oi a m' tallic tube 2, screwed through the radiator cap 3 and secured thereto by the nut 4. The tube is closed at the upper end and extends above the radiator cap and that portion above the cap provided with a sight running 5. The metallic tube projects down ward through the cap. and is open at its lower end to permit the free flow of the water in the upper part of the tank, into and out of the tube.

I have shown a preferred construction in which means for indicating the temperature of the water included.

A float 363 is for-riled hollow and is provided with upwardly extending parallel rods 37 preferably connected at the top. A thermometer is inserted in the float and betwe n the rods which therefore not as a support and protection to the glass tube of the thermometer. An annular ring 39 threaded into the bottom of the float retains the thermometer in lilili't'? and }iuotccts the bulb, while allowing the latter to remain in Contact with the water of the radiator.

The thermometer which is formed to provide an easily read mercury column 4-1, is suitably calibrated, and a. scale =12 upon one of the Polls 37 cnabies the ol'iserver to read the temperature of the Water. Adjacent to the sight opening; 5 is a Water level scale 15. It will be clear from the above, therefore, that the position of the thermometer tube and rods in respect of the scale 15 indicates the amount of Water in the radiator, and that: the position of the mercury column 41 in the thermometer tuberelative to the scale 42 indicates the temperature of the water. A projecting stop 43 engaging one of the rods 37 prevents rotation of the thermometer and protecting rods in the tube.

In order to give greater visibility to the height of the mercury column, the sight opening 5 may if desired be closed by a lens or the thermometer tube itself may be formed to magnify the size of the column.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for indicating the amount: and temperature of Water in a tank, a float. a scale, a rod attached to said float for indivating on said scale the level of water in said tank, and a thermometer tube secured to said rod and having its bulb in said float in communication with the water in said tank.

2. In an apparatus for indicating the amount and temperature ol' Water in 21 tank, a float, a scale, a pair of rods connected at tho top and attached to said float for indi- 10 eating on said scale the level of Water in said tank, and a thm'monntui' having ifs bulb arranged in said Hold and having its slow arranged lwtween said rods for indicating the. temperature of snid waiter.

In tnstimony \VllGl'QOf l have huruunto not my hand at San Francisco, California, this 12th day of July, 1918. I

IAMPBELL FORD. In presence of C. b' EVANS.

Certificate of Correztion.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent, No 132L930, granted July 4, 1922, upon the application of Campbell Foul, of San Fra'nciscn. California, for an imrovement in .-\pparatus fur Indicating the Amount of Water in Automobile adiators an error alppears in the printed spcuilirrntinn i-vquiring correction as follows: l 'age 2, after line 14 insert the followin; as claim 3:

.3. In am. inatv'u-rrwnt of the class described, a frame member 1w Ping gage mm'ka thereon also Ila-ping a. pendant pipe, and u. buoyant indicating imr'mbm 00- operating with the marks to indicate liquid level and vertically quillml for movement in relation to the frrmw member and its pipe, the indicating member compfin'ng a thermometer movableifwrewith with its tempera/we imlimring part in proximity to said marks. and Llml, the said Letters Iatent should be read with this correctinn therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Paumt Oflico.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of July A. 1)., 1923.

[m] WM. A. KINNAN,

Acting flommn'xxione'r of Patients. 

